Over the next two weeks, state high school athletics officials will review the issues of the day and one that shouldn't be far from the top is finding a more equitable system for deciding just what constitutes Division I and Division II for state tournaments.

Anytime you have three of the state's biggest public schools — Farrington (enrollment 2,569), Campbell (2,370) and McKinley (1,877) — playing schools a third or even a sixth of their enrollments you have a situation that requires attention. And we've seen exactly that this year in boys and girls basketball.

Nothing against the McKinley boys performance in winning the Tigers' first state basketball tournament title in February. Or against the Tiger girls, Farrington boys or Campbell girls. All were playing the hands dealt them by the divisional structure as drawn up by their leagues and the state association.

But now that D-I and II are up and running, it is time to get the bugs out. And the biggest one is the disparity in the size of the schools that find themselves sharing a court in the D-II postseason.

It makes little sense when you have McKinley playing Waimea with but 805 students, in D-II. Or, when Campbell, the third largest public school, squares off with Hawai'i Prep (352).

Care to guess who won those two girls games?

Ideally, there would be three divisions so that Kohala, Waialua, Moloka'i etc. would have a more equitable field. A concept pushed by Bob Wagner, Kamehameha-Hawai'i athletic director, and others. But until a way is found to make that work financially, it shouldn't be too much to ask that the D-II criteria at least be streamlined.

The problem is that unlike many states, where there is a uniform criteria for classification, here each league sets its own standards. Each decides how much weight should be given to enrollment and past performance. Two schools from different leagues with the same enrollments could be classified in different divisions.

If Kahuku wants to move up from where the enrollment would place the Red Raiders, more power to 'em. But to allow a Farrington to drop down flies in the face of even having divisions.

Some schools, Punahou, Kamehameha, Saint Louis, Mililani and Waipahu among them, should never be classified D-II in anything. And some others, such as La Pietra, Kohala etc. shouldn't be forced to move up to D-I based upon one good season unless they are willing.

It is a situation that begs for change, sooner rather than later.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.